Sprague teens try to chase man who snatched toddler

SPRAGUE, Wash.—Two Sprague teenagers are being praised as heroes for chasing down a man Sunday who tried to abduct a toddler from a park.

Isaac Yow, 16, and Andrew Crane, 15, heard screaming Sunday afternoon and quickly sprang into action. The freshmen at Sprague High School described the noise that disrupted a quiet Sunday afternoon as a "blood-curdling screaming."

"It scared me that it happened in Sprague. Nothing happens in Sprague," said Yow.

The two ran over to the commotion and noticed a man running off with a little boy.

The teenagers caught up to the scene and found a 22-month-old boy sitting on the ground.

Yow and Crane said it was obvious the man had dropped the toddler in the dirt as he kept running. The two tees made sure the boy was okay and then chased after the suspect. However, the man had vanished by the time the teens rounded the corner.

"Well, it seemed like the right thing to do," said Crane "I mean, the guy tried to kidnap somebody. Why are we going to let him get away?"

On Monday, deputies with the Lincoln County Sheriff's Office said it did not appear the toddler's family knew the man who tried to snatch him. The toddler's older sister told authorities that they had been chatting with the man in a nearby park around noon on Sunday when he suddenly grabbed the boy and ran.

Security cameras from a grocery store nearby showed the man trying to run away with the toddler in his arms. About ten seconds later, the boy's siblings begin to run after him.

Authorities interviewed several witnesses, but so far, no one recognizes the man.

In the meantime, Yow and Crane are being praised as heroes.

"I didn't really care," Crane told KREM 2 News on Monday. "There was a kid's life in danger, and I didn't care about my own at that point."

Yow does not consider himself a hero either.

I just consider myself a person doing the right thing," added Yow.

The boys said the suspect got away that they believe he had a getaway car nearby.

The Lincoln County Sheriff's Office is actively investigating the case. If anyone has any information about the suspect in the photo, they are asked to call 509-725-3501.